Liquid feeding can reduce pig costs

Liquid feeding has the potential to bring major
savings in the cost of production for British pig
farmers.

Results from a trial funded by the British Pig
Executive (BPEX) and Defra show costs of production could be cut by as much as
9p per kg deadweight by using co-products in liquid feeding.The
multi-disciplinary trial, managed by the Meat and Livestock Commission, studied
just over 1,000 pigs, at the Stotfold Pig development Unit, from 35kg to
slaughter weight averaging 102kg. The trial compared straw-based and fully
slatted systems and used both single diet and phase feeding.

Better
growthThe liquid feed was formulated using co-products along with
cereals and ingredients including soya meal and rapeseed meal. Single feeding
showed a growth rate was 886 grams per day while phase feeding returned 860
grams per day, both comparing favourably with the first trial where dry feeding
was compared with liquid in which no co-products were used. Here growth rates
were just under 800 grams a day.

Potential from co-productsMLC
Pig Technical Manager Dr Pinder Gill said: "This trial shows the tremendous
potential benefits from using co-products and liquid feeding. "This would be a
big help in realising a dramatic cut in the costs of production coupled with an
improvement in efficiency. "This is very important for achieving our aim of
improving the competitiveness of the British pig
industry."